Vehicle of the scooter type



March 4, 1958 D. A. MICKELS 2,325,575

- VEHICLE OF THE SCOOTER TYPE Filed June 21, 1956 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dean4. M/cke /s 1N VEN'I'OR.

g/ I a A Harm?! March 4, 1958 D. A. MICKELS 2,825,575

VEHICLE OF THE SCOOTER TYPE Filed June 21, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dean4.. M/cke/s Fly. 8 INVENTOR.

am away 5% "Un te $ie .;.1?atsnr ime. VEHICLE on THE scoom mn Dean A.Mic'ku; mad, mt 'Kpplic'ation 5511521,rsseseaai'traisszsss i Claims. 'ict z s -sioo This invention ge ner ally relates to a venuear'id "mereparticularly to that t'ype of vehicle generally raoen as a scooterhaving a single axle supportingfotatable ground engaging 'means and aplatform with "an fupst'anding handle wherein the vehicleis'primarilyfor useby children wherein one foot is placed on the platform and byaspirig the handle and imparting forward thrust by, engaging the otherfoot with' the ground surface, jthef-vehicle may be'caused to move onthe round surface in a desired manner, 5 V I The primary object of thepresentinvention is to provide a' vehicle e's pecially'adaptedj for iiseby ch dre'n incorporating all jot 'jthe features 5 of a scooter wit'hthe exception "of 'providirig en'lya single transverse axle disposedtransversely ofLthefvehicle sjibstaii tially at thecenterthereof-'whereby the vehicle wi A 'evelo u I sense of balance andalso provide -a-'vehicle 'retiiliriiig some slgill to operateefliciently but still within the realm of skill of'hhildren.

Other objects of tlie'ipresent firivn'tion will reside in its im id a fssz stms aa attr tive s ss a t tion for its pa rt i cular purposes andits relatively inex- V 1 P .9k These togetherotherobjects andadvantages-. which b5 955? s bst i ie lm s n e d in .t esie ofconstruction and operationas rnpre fully hereinafter described andclaimed, reference beirig had to the accompanying; drawings forming :a'partihei'eof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, andin which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the single wheel form of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane passing along section line 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrating thedetails of construction of the single wheel type vehicle;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along section line 3-3 of Figure 2 illustrating the manner ofattaching the handle to the depending flange and the relationship of thewheel and the depending flange;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the construction of Figure 1illustrating details of construction thereof;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the dual wheeled form of thevehicle of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane passing along the longitudinal center of the constructionof Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substanitallyupon a plane passing along section line 7-7 of Figure 6 illustrating thedetails of construction of the dual wheeled form of the invention; and

Figure 8 is a bottom plane view of the construction of Figure 5illustrating further structural details thereof.

Referring now specifically to Figures 1-4 of the ofiicial drawings, thenumeral 10 generally designates the single wheeled type of vehicle orscooter of the present invention which includes a generally elongatedplatform .rear flange 14 and also depending side flanges 16 whicharerelatively shallow in depth. Theupper'su'rface of the platform 12 isprovided'with"a"coating orcovering .18 'of friction increasing materialwhich inay be scored as designated by the numeral 20 into'a checkerboarddesign for increasing the frictional resistancetosliding movement of afoot-positioned on the uppersurface thereof. The forward end of theplatform 12 isprovided with an upwardly extending lip 22 for forwardsliding movement ofa foot positioned (m the surface of the covering 18and the platform 12.

Mounted on the undersurface of the platform li'. is a depending ovalshaped continuous flange 24'having; an outwardly extending peripheralflange '26 at its upper edge for attachment to the undersur'face of theplatform 12. Thetcentral'portion of the side portions of: the flange 24which are substantially parallel and designated by the numeral 28 extenddownwardlytbelow the end portions of the flanges 24 and receive an" axleoraxley bolt 30 .therebetween. The ends of .the' axle bolt 3ll arethreaded as designated by the numeral 5255p receiving scr'ew threadednuts 34 thereby .rnountingI the'axle 'or 'ax le bolt '3 0 on the sideportions 28' of ,the 'flange z 2i. Rotat ably manned on the axle'fiil isa wheel a 'central hub portion 33 which extends to area; side of thefwheel 36. for engagementwith thev inner s'urface of theparallel"sideportions '28of the flange 24"'thereby" 'pos itio thewheel 36centrally between the side portions of the flange 2455115 'centr allyfof"the pla'tform 1 2. flhe w'lieell'ismay he provided with'a pneum"callyififiatable tire 40 having a i rounded f enpheiai senate t'qpefrnit tilting er thefplatfo'rm T255011; a longitudinal aswell astransver se axis. p p A generally upstanding and slightly rearwardly Aelongated tubularhandle 42 is' provi dedwith are extending lower endportion whichfterini U-shaped attaching plateau-46 having seated'parallellegs 48 i when lie alongside the forward *np rages ":offtheange 2'4 with the bight portionf-of tlie U shapedf fitg V parade-asgehran engagin -the an d5 fo ward sa e-24mm "the 'bi'ghtpp tan-Bede Ushape'dmember dfi being"hisposed"rearwardly of the forward edge of theplatform 12. A transverse bolt 50 extends through the free end of thelegs 43 and also through the side portions 28 of the flange 24 forrigidly securing the U-shaped attaching portion 46 to the flange 24. Theportion of the rearwardly extending lower end 44 underlying the platform12 is secured to the platform 12 by a fastening bolt 52 which extendsdownwardly from the upper surface of the platform 12 and through therearwardly extending portion 44 for rigidly securing the handle 42 tothe platform 12, whereupon pivotal movement of the platform 12 may becontrolled by the handle 42. For facilitating control of the platform12, a pair of laterally extending hand grip members 54 are provided onthe upper end of the tubular handle 42 wherein the hand grips 54 may bethe conventional type of rubber hand grips provided on tricycles orbicycles.

In operation, one foot is placed on the upper surface of the platform 12or the coating or covering 18 and the hand grips 54 are grasped. Byproviding forward force with the other foot, the vehicle 10 may bepropelled over the ground surface on the rotatable wheel 36. Bybalancing the device and controlling the direction of movement thereof,the vehicle 10 may be used in the manner of a scooter with only a singleaxle and a single supporting wheel.

Referring now specifically to that form of the invention illustrated inFigures 5-8, the construction of all pf the'elements arethe same exceptfor the construction of the continuous depending flange designated bythe numeral 24' having the parallel fside portions 28 and as designatedby the numeral 32 for receiving nuts 34'.

' ,Alpair of Wheels '36 are supported an the bolt s2 with each of1thewheels36f having a central hub 3 and'a 1 pneumatic tire 49' with thewheels 36' being'disposed in isidev by'side relation substantially atthe center of the platform lz.

I T he rearwardly extending portion ie of the handle 42" is providedwith 'a 'U-shaped ,attachingportioni 46' hav-' "ing leg portions 48'spaced apart a greater distance than V the legs 48 of theldeviceillustrated in Figures 1-4 for positioning on opposite sides of thesideportions 2.8 of the'fiange '24' 'f0r securing thereto by a: boltSit-"having -nuts 51 screw threaded on each end thereof. A fastenformwhereby said scooter'must be'balanced both later ally andlongit'udinallyb'y the user thereof.

2. A scooter comprising an elongatefoot supporting platform, anupstanding handle at one end of said plat- I form, a single transverseaxle mounted beneath said plate form substantially midway of'the lengththereof, and a I single wheel mounted on said axle medially between fthev opposite sides of said platform wherebylsaid scooter is;

devoid of inherent lateral and longitudinal stability'and must bebalanced by the user thereof. l

a 3. A scooter comprising an elongate foot supporting. 7 platform, anupstanding handle: at one end of the plat form, a pair of wheelspositioned beneath" said platform} in coaxial side-by-side relation,the'axis of said wheels being located substantially midway of the lengthof said 1 V platform, and means supporting said plat-forin on saidjwheels, the rims of said wheels being spaced apart adising bolt 52 extends downwardly through the platform 7 i 1 12fand thelrearwardlyextending portion 44 for rigidly s'ecuring'the handle-'42 tothe platform 12'.

Thejdeviceillustrated in Figures 5-8 operates insubstantially the samemanner as the :device illustrated in Figures 1-4 with'the exceptionithatthe dual wheels 36' rprovideslightly more lateral stability to thevehicle, In

each instance the, vehicle provides 'a novel type .Qfoccu? pantpropelled vehiclewhich is substantially in the nature of a -sc ooterwith one model having ua'single wheel and the other model having a dualwheel. withrboth models The foregoing is considered asillustrativeonlyof the V a 1 principles of the invention. Furthensince numerousmodifications andichanges will rreadilyvo ccur to those 7, Platform, anupstanding handlesecured to one'en'd of V i said platform; a singletransverse axle mounted beneath saidplatform substantially midway of thelength" of said platform, and narrow wheel means on said axle posi-'tance substantially less than-thejvidth of-saidfplatforni whereby saidscooter isnot substantiallyistable laterally p or longitudinally andmust be balanced bythe userii 1; V v

4. A scooter of the single axle type comprisingla plat- V V form formingan area for positioning ax-foo t of. the opj 1 orator, 21' dependingcontinuous flang'e disposed inwar clly V e of the peripheral edge ofsaid platform; thetforward end of 7 said flange being rounded, anupstanding-handle at one end of said' platfor'm having a rearwardlyextending portion terminating in a U-shaped portion straddling "and 1securing said rounded flange end-{the upper end of said 7 handle beingprovided with laterally extendinghand grips, i

' a-transversely extending axle dis'posed betweenpafallel or formshaving only a single transverse axis of rotation p 7 V r 7 r tativelysupported by said axle and formingthe solesup:

t 'for the wheels,

' skilled in the art, it' islnot desired to limit the invention Ktolthezexact construction and. operation shown and deseribed, andaccordingly, tall suitable modifications and v equivalents 'rna'y'beresorted to, falling within thescope port for said platform.

UNITED STATES PATENTS a tioned substantially medially of the sides ofsaid'plat

